What is Drip Coffee and How is it Made?
Drip coffee is one of the most widely enjoyed types of coffee worldwide. It’s also one of the most commonly used brewing methods, though has a tendency to cause a certain amount of confusion. Drip coffee is often interpreted as the same thing as pour over coffee, though purists will tell you there’s a big difference between the two.
In this instance, we’re talking about drip coffee in the context of an automatic drip coffee maker. A machine that generally consists of a container for the coffee and a basket for the coffee grounds, which hot water ‘drips’ onto in a slow and controlled manner.
Here are the basics of how the brewing process works with a typical drip coffee maker:
- First, you place the appropriate quantity of coffee grounds into the basket
- Cold water is then added to the reservoir (ideally filtered)
- The water in the reservoir is heated and forced upwards at pressure
- This heated water then drips slowly on to the basket of coffee grounds
- The water makes its way through the coffee and is transferred to the container below
Hence, there’s very little to it in terms of science or effort. You simply load the machine with the bits and pieces needed, after which it takes care of everything on your behalf.
Drip coffee has become something of a standard for the 21st century coffee drinker, though is often underappreciated. Brewed properly, drip coffee can be both delicious and surprisingly sophisticated.
Why is Drip Coffee Different?
What makes the difference with drip coffee is the way in which the devices used rely on nothing but thermally induced pressure to drive the hot water towards the grounds. After which, gravity takes over and gently pulls the water through the grounds at a slow speed. By contrast, a typical espresso coffee machine drives the water through the grounds using artificially induced pressure at a much higher level.
As a result, the drip coffee brewing method dissolves much less of the soluble mass of the coffee as the water passes through. There are also some types of filters (paper in particular) that attract some of the oils and extracts released from the grounds.
The result of which is a quintessentially smooth, light, refreshing and enjoyable cup of coffee, which is also exceptionally easy to make and comprehensively affordable. Precisely why a drip coffee has become the standard go-to for millions of homes, offices and cafes around the world.
How to Make Drip Coffee
The basics of making good drip coffee couldn’t be easier, as all you need to do is add the appropriate quantities of coffee and water. Exactly how much you’ll need will be determined by both your personal preferences and the quality of the coffee you use.
As a general rule of thumb, start out with around 60g of high-quality ground coffee for every 1 liter of water. After which, it’s simply a case of adjusting things in one direction or the other, until you come up with your perfect ratio.
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